Friday, September 26, 2014

Today's Special - - Roxanne St. Claire

I'm delighted to welcome New York Times and USA Today bestselling and Rita® award winning author Roxanne "Rocki" St. Claire to the blog today. I'm a long-time fan of Rocki's books and, in my opinion, her current Barefoot Bay series is some of her best writing. I highly recommend all of the books in the series. In addition to being a terrific author, Rocki is one of the nicest people around and an author who greatly appreciates her readers. You can find information about Rocki and her books at her website and connect with her online at Facebook and Twitter.

Welcome, Rocki! I’ve been enjoying your Barefoot Bay books so
much. Each one makes me laugh, makes me
cry and touches my heart in a profound way but your newest, Barefoot in Lace- book 2 in the Barefoot
Bay Brides trilogy - has set a new standard.
In fact, it may just be my favorite of all the books you’ve written.
Please tell our readers what they can expect from this book.

Wow, thank you! Barefoot
in Lace was not an easy, breezy book to write (though I hope it reads that
way!) so that compliment means the world to me.
Readers can expect a trip back to Barefoot Bay, my fictional island on
the Gulf Coast of Florida. Like every
book in the series (loosely broken into three “sub” series – the original
Barefoot Bay quartet, the Barefoot Bay Billionaires, and the Barefoot Bay
Brides), this novel stands completely alone as a romance about two damaged
souls who are healed and made whole by love.
Readers can expect an emotional ride, some laughs, some tears, plenty of
romance, and visits from characters they may already know and love. Oh, and a few lovely chapters in the south of
France, just to liven things up a bit!

Gussie and Tom are
both weighted down by emotional baggage.
What is it about these two that convinced you they could overcome their
obstacles and find a happy ending together?

They “got” each other from the very beginning. These are two people who, on the surface, are
not at all what they seem to be. Gussie
is a wedding stylist who works for the Barefoot Brides, the destination wedding
consultants based in Barefoot Bay, and she longs for a family to replace one
she lost when her brother left home years ago.
Tom, an elite professional photographer, has experienced exquisite
sadness and loss, but has coped by draping himself in a shroud of solitude. When he’s given the guardianship of his
twelve-year-old niece, he finds himself in an impossible situation – unable to
reach her, unable to leave her, unable to return to his life alone. Enter Gussie, who needs a wedding
photographer ASAP, and seems to have a natural rapport with Tom’s niece. They strike a deal, get very close, and begin
to peel off layers (and clothes!) to discover…oh, you know. A happy ending! But it’s a tough road to getting there, I
promise.

A tough road it may be but well worth the journey!I’ve shed a few tears
in more than one of your books but this story had me sobbing like a baby. Do you have the same emotional reaction when
you write the stories?

I’ll be honest – if I don’t shed a tear while writing a
book, something is wrong. Yes, I have an
emotional reaction. There are two scenes
in particular that always make me tear up, no matter how many times I polish
and revise – and in the course of writing a book, I can read (and rewrite and
revise and improve) a scene at least twenty times!). I’ve been getting a lot of email about those
scenes, so I know my reaction matches readers, which is so reassuring!

Let’s talk about you
a bit. We’re just about to kick off the
new fall TV season. What new – or
returning -shows are you looking forward to watching?

OUTLANDER!!! I am absolutely breathless about the new series
on STARZ. I can almost not talk about
how amazing it is. I’d never read the
book (not a huge historical fan – at least I didn’t think I was) but I heard
some buzz about this show and was delighted to discover we actually have STARZ
on my TV. (Who knew?) I watched about five minutes and was immediately
invested. After the second episode, I
bought the book and DEVOURED it. I watch
every episode at least twice and each time I’m more blown away by this
incredible storytelling. The production
is stunning, the acting superb, the writing perfect, and…Jamie. Sam Heughan is all of the above.

Like you, I hadn't read the books either but I've fallen in love with the STARZ production of OUTLANDER. It's exquisite!I love to be
surprised by characters in the books I read.
What would readers be surprised to learn about you?

That’s a tough question, since I’ve been an “open book” for
ten years, sharing much with my readers. Oversharing, perhaps. Maybe they would be surprised to learn that
one of my hobbies is taking sunrise pictures and turning them into “inspiring”
wallpaper that I give away for free on my website! Go to this link and be
inspired by the breathtaking sunrises I enjoy every morning. http://roxannestclaire.com/blog/?page_id=2034

What beautiful photos and how generous of you to share!I’m a huge fan of
college football and here in the south, tailgating is an important part of the
experience. Let’s say you’re hosting a tailgating party and can invite ten
couples from your books, who would you choose and why? What favorite dishes would you serve?

Well, first of all, it would not be a tailgate party and it
might not be a football game. I’m not
really a fan (though I am a Gator Mom and there are fans around me) but we love
to host barbeques – and that counts as a southern tradition, right? I would be
tempted to invite all of the Bullet Catchers and their beloveds (there were
eleven books in that series, so we’d have to make room for an extra couple and,
by now, a few babies). That way, we
could PLAY football (there’s often a game of touch football at Lucy Sharpe’s
estate on Sundays, readers may recall) and admire teams up close and personal. There are TEN Barefoot Bay books (or will be
when the third in the Barefoot Brides comes out early next year) so that would
make a very fun party, too. On the beach
and barefoot, of course!

Barbeques work just fine and I love the thought of all the Bullet Catchers back together! As you mentioned above, the third book in the Barefoot Bay Brides trilogy will be out next year. Will you be returning to Barefoot Bay after that? I admit, it’s become one of my favorite
fictional places to visit!

Thank you so much – you are always welcome to kick off your
shoes and fall in love! Barefoot Bay is constantly growing – there’s a minor
league baseball team moving in, you know.
And some excitement brewing off shore that could make a splash,
too. I’m definitely writing another
trilogy set in Barefoot Bay, and am just now starting to
plan out those books for 2015. Stay
tuned!!

Thanks so much for
visiting with us today, Rocki. Would you
like to ask our readers a question?

YES! I am considering adding a little suspense and intrigue
to my contemporary romances. Not a lot of dead bodies or darkness, I assure
you, but more like a romantic adventure with a bit of danger to balance out the
drama. I’m thinking a touch of mystery
layered into the love story, but with the core story focused on the developing
romance. Is this something contemporary
readers like? Please give me your
opinion, and one winner will get print copies of BAREFOOT IN WHITE and BAREFOOT
IN LACE!

I haven't yet read your books (but I work with PJ and she recently asked me if I read "Rocki's" books--so I know she must have just read this book because she was crazy excited to talk about it. It sounds wonderful!) I definitely will have to seek them out. I like a nice suspenseful adventure, but not always into the dead bodies things. But if it's "done right", with enough wit and humor and zippy one-liners as well as the emotional punch you seem to have in spades, I'll likely read it. I used to never read Nora Roberts (I know! What was wrong with me?) but then I read one...then another...and then I glommed a series I adored...and now I'm reading Carolina Moon, and it's contemporary with some suspense/dead bodies and I love it. Wouldn't normally read it on a bet. It's not so much what a writer writes, but the voice of the writer than lures me into their stories.

Hellie, I was lucky enough to discover Rocki's books after she had accumulated a hefty back list. I stocked up on book-reading snack food, turned off my phone and had one wonderful glom-fest. I highly recommend it! :)

I'd like some intrigue in the story. I frequently find (and enjoy) a bit of mystery incorporated in the historical romances I read. But I am a fan of romantic suspense and mysteries, so I may be a bit biased! Thanks for visiting, Rocki.

It's strange you should ask this question now, Roxanne, as romantic suspense is something I "discovered" on a blog about a year ago...and now cannot get enough of it! I've always liked historical romances in the Medieval, Regency, Georgian, Victorian eras, and found out I like the same stories but with some mystery, action or intrigue added. In fact, I have drifted even more toward contemporaries as opposed to historicals in my search for romantic suspense stories. I like the added excitement of a mystery with a little adventure or action added to my romance reading. It provides endless entertainment to read a romance (which I still love) and also try to solve the mystery before I get to the end of the story. :-) Thanks for the interesting question. jdh2690@gmail.com

I find good suspense harder and harder to find. I loved Rocki's Bullet Catchers and Guardian Angelinos. I've read all the Barefoot Bay books and I don't know how she can top Barefoot in Lace, but I can't wait to find out!

I have read every one of Rocki's books and have autographed copies of every one except the most recent on my keeper shelf. I refer to it as the Roxanne St. Claire Honorary Shelf. I'm a HUGE fan. And not only is she a great writer, I'm blessed to have her as a friend. I wouldn't mind a little mystery at Barefoot Bay. And of course we should be getting some hunky baseball players there soon too. They wear those tight pants and... well, you know. ;-)

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